Ultra-processed foods are made mostly from substances extracted from foods, such as fats, starches, added sugars, and hydrogenated fats.
They may also contain additives like artificial colors and flavors or stabilizers. Examples of these foods are frozen meals, soft drinks, hot dogs and cold cuts, fast food, packaged cookies, cakes, and salty snacks.
Several studies have linked the intake of ultra-processed foods with a higher risk of inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, obesity and premature death.
In a new study, scientists found these ready-to-eat foods can cause a greater risk of cognitive decline as people.
They found if 20% of the 2,000 calories recommended daily are from these foods, people will have a risk of faster cognitive decline.
According to a recent study, ultra-processed foods are the main source (nearly 58%) of calories eaten in the US and contribute almost 90% of the energy we get from added sugars.
In the current study, researchers examined 10,775 participants in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health.
They found that compared to people who ate the least amount of ultra-processed foods, those who consumed the most experienced a 28% faster rate of general cognitive decline and a 25% faster rate of executive function decline.
Researchers say that this is a study of association, not designed to prove cause and effect.
But there are a number of elements to fortify the proposition that some acceleration in cognitive decay may be attributed to ultra-processed foods.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and Vitamin B supplements could help reduce dementia risk.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies that cranberries could help boost memory, and these antioxidants could help reduce dementia risk.
The study was conducted by Dr. David Katz et al and published in the journal JAMA Neurology.
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